Washington [US]: Researchers found out how chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes gradual liver damage, and eradicating the virus remains a daunting challenge.
In the study, investigators identified TSCMs in patients with chronic HBV infection and analyzed their effects in a mouse model of HBV. After introducing TSCMs from patients into the mice, the immune cells differentiated into cytotoxic T cells and activated a strong response that resulted in the elimination of HBV-infected liver cells. Therefore, augmenting patients' TSCMs may help the immune system overcome the virus.
"Our hepatitis model may reveal how TSCMs differentiate into cytotoxic T cells and uncover the fate of differentiated T cells. Such information could greatly advance future research on T cell-based therapies," said corresponding author Hiromi Abe-Chayama, PhD, of Hiroshima University, in Japan. (ANI)
